Victory comes at huge cost for Lions
It was far from pretty‚ coach Johan Ackermann admitted‚ but it was effective enough to start the Lions’ Super Rugby campaign with an away win over the Cheetahs.
The Lions took to the N1 from Bloemfontein with four log points, but also the nagging sensation that their road ahead is littered with peaks for which they may not yet be prepared.
Their win over a game Cheetahs side, for instance, came at a cost. Centre Howard Mnisi was a first-half casualty‚ leaving the field with a knee injury that according to the coach could sideline him for between five and eight weeks.
“The scans will reveal whether it is longer or shorter‚” said Ackermann.
But the coach would have been pleased with the performance of Harold Vorster‚ who has just returned from a long injury layoff and was one of the Lions’ foremost ball carriers.
Malcolm Marx and Ruan Ackermann too were full of energy, but overall, it was a performance in which the visitors rarely hit the high notes.
On the few occasions that they did‚ it distanced them from the plucky Cheetahs who made most of the running.
When opportunity presented itself in the second half, Rohan Janse van Rensburg gleefully grabbed it.
In a slight departure from last year’s template‚ much of their win was built around solid defence. “We haven’t played a lot together since [last year’s] Super Rugby‚” said Ackermann‚ referring to Springboks in his ranks.
Captain Warren Whiteley agreed that conditions were difficult, but he had an important point to bring across.
“It is not about how you start‚ you need to peak at the right time.”